As Lovers Do
by riesling
Summary: She’d only meant to exaggerate one of her memories, not surface thousands of them from the deepest recesses of her mind. If Duo broke his promise to return to her, how would Hilde handle life on her own? Completely revised version of an earlier story; R
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** I decided, after reading this story, that I didn't really do as well as I could have done with it. As my apology to the few readers that have shown an interest in this piece, I have decided to revise and continue this piece. The Duo and Hilde pairing is my favorite in Gundam Wing and I hope that, through this edit, I can do it better justice and make it far more enjoyable for you!

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gundam Wing the series, the characters, or (and this is quite arguable) much of the merchandise. If I did, you'd all be watching this story via animation as a continuation of the series. So please don't sue me for borrowing our beloved characters for a little bit!

* * *

**As Lovers Do**

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

She'd only meant to exaggerate one of her memories, not flip the switch to send thousands of them spilling out from the deepest recesses of her mind. Instead of recalling the pleasantries of spending warm summer nights on the roof of her shabby apartment with him by her side, she was remembering everything they'd used to do together. Everything from the way they'd stand outside, singing and running through the rain until it had soaked them through, to the way they had stayed in bed all day on their weekends off. Hilde had only meant to remind herself, just briefly, that there had been a time when she was happy and full of smiles and laughter. She hadn't meant to make the oh-so-painful realization that she was now utterly alone in the world.

And Hilde had never been more scared to be alone.

Duo had left again. Heero had come early in the morning, before Hilde would have normally dreamed of easing her tired limbs out from under the warm covers the young lovers shared. The two young men were on the first shuttle heading to earth; Hilde wasn't even awake to say goodbye.

All she'd been left with was a note, scrawled quickly in his uneven and nearly-indecipherable penmanship. It was written in black ink, ripped from a larger piece of paper that had probably once been a bookmark for some novel or another that Hilde had used to occupy herself the last time Duo left.

_Babe-  
I couldn't bring myself to wake you this  
morning. There was an uprising of  
some sort on earth and I'm with Heero  
fixing the problem. I'll be home to you  
very soon.  
Duo_

It wasn't the first letter that he'd ever written her. Hilde sometimes felt that there were thousands of the damnable things littering a beat-up old shoe box that she hid behind several boxes under her side of the bed. But they weren't all like that letter had been. Because Duo had come home to her after he'd written all of the others. He had kept his promises, hadn't hidden behind concisely written dialogue and empty letters written on tattered slips of paper.

Frowning, the slender young girl wrapped her arms around her fragile frame, concentrating her attentions on the difficult task of remembering how to breathe. It had been damn near two years and the slightest memory could still trigger a painful reaction like the one that she was experiencing at that very moment. It was always the same; her heart would begin to race, warning her of the dangerous consequences of letting her mind wander down its chosen path. Then the pressure in her lungs would build until she was sure that the combination of her heart and lungs betrayal was enough to overtake her senses completely. And she was forced to wait, letting her memories cause her body to ache, physically draining the gorgeous raven-haired beauty.

'Why can't I feel anything from anyone unless he's you?' her mind demanded.

But it really did no good to argue with herself. The end result of any of her deductions was always the same. She had been a fifteen year old girl when she'd first met him, young and naïve. He'd saved her life in many ways, some he was aware of while others were secrets as precious as the memories she kept of him. She had grown up in the six years that had followed the Eve Wars and so many things about her life had changed. For a while, the 

only thing that had remained constant was that Duo would always come back to her and she would always be waiting for him.

Hilde had made a home in the small apartment she could barely afford the rent on each month. Today, however, with the scrap yard and repair shop she owned and operated, making ends meet was nothing like the constant struggle the beautiful young mobile suit pilot and grown accustomed to in her younger years. Her life wasn't always perfect; she didn't expect it to be. But with him the place was home and her life was complete.

She was twenty-one years old with two successful businesses. There were several men that would have loved a chance to catch Hilde's attention; to be allowed to run his hands down her slender waist and feel the chin length strands of her dark ebony hair against his cheek. Just looking in her eyes was enough to hypnotize most men.

But all Hilde wanted was a man with long, chestnut brown hair and deep cornflower blue eyes. The man she wanted had seemingly forgotten about her in the fifteen months he had been away from her. And, try as she might, the poor young girl was utterly incapable of ridding herself of his memory.

"Why can't I fell anything from anyone unless he's you?" her voice was no more than a whisper and the lone tear that made its way slowly down her cheek was enough to express the hopelessness of her situation.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **I know that there was a lot about the last chapter that was rather vague. I was hoping to offer a decent enough set up to the story without actually placing Hilde anywhere yet. I apologize if there might have been any confusion about this or if it turned you off from my story in any way. I wanted it to be angsty without all of that teenaged drama! But things are going to return to some form of normalcy now with this and all of the following chapters. Thank you so much for your support.

* * *

**As Lovers Do**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

* * *

The doorbell rang, causing the young woman to squint against the sunlight pouring through the closed blinds of her window. It was peculiar for there to be so much sunlight for a winter morning.

She was lying on her side, legs curled upwards towards her chest. The covers were pulled up high enough to expose just her shoulders to the warm morning sunlight and moved only slightly with her calm breathing. Rolling over onto her side, Hilde looked at her ceiling for a moment, studying the patterns that swirled in its simple white construction. She always had wondered just why it was that someone had ever thought it necessary to include a pattern in the ceiling; it wasn't like people spent much time concentrating on that particular feature of their home.

The doorbell rang again and Hilde groaned, gazing at the clock positioned on her bedside table.

'Eight forty five?' her tired eyes couldn't have been playing tricks on the poor girl as she sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and to the floor a bit more quickly than her body would allow. Taking a moment to steady the spinning in her head, Hilde grabbed the short white robe hanging from the back of her doorway and tied it securely around her waist before she exited her bedroom and entered the hallway.

She paused for a moment before opening the door, taking a bit of time to run a hand haphazardly through the morning mess that always constituted her hair when she first awoke for the day. The tangle was slightly longer than it had been when she had been in the army, though Hilde still preferred to wear her hair short. The strands fell to a place just below her jawbone and curled outwards naturally. Her skin was still the same pale porcelain color that could only manage to gain a soft buttermilk shade with her summertime exposure to the sun. But she didn't appear sickly, as she had when she was younger; the girl that Hilde was looking up had matured.

Hilde had learned a lot about the world since she'd matured into adulthood. It hadn't taken long for her to realize that the mechanical work she loved wasn't a profession attributed to many women and the uncommon nature of her profession gained her much attention from the male population. To say that she didn't exploit such attention would have been a lie. Knowing that the beautiful Miss Hilde would be fixing their appliances and automobiles was enough to attract a rather interesting collection of men, especially in the summer when her tight mechanic's jumpsuit would be replaced for less clothing in an attempt to counterbalance the heat.

The young woman thought of Duo rather often, wondering what he would have thought if he knew how she would subtly sell her body along with the repairs she made. All Hilde had ever wanted to do was make Duo proud and the girl knew that her actions would have instilled a bitter tinge of jealousy in the Gundam pilot. The boy would tell Hilde that her decisions to attract customers with her lovely curves and witty conversation disappointed him slightly and Hilde would just laugh. She would wrap her arms around his waist and rest her head against his chest, assuring him that she wasn't doing anything wrong; that her heart belonged to only him.

When the doorbell rang again, Hilde sighed, pulling her eyes away from the mirror. Running a hand through her hair hadn't really helped to tame the mess of it, but it was slightly better than it had been before. She felt the cool metal doorknob beneath her fingertips and smiled despite her need to squint into the morning sun shining around the apartment complex in front of her house. It was cold outside, a fresh blanket of snow had fallen on the ground, and Hilde responded to this realization by wrapping her robe more tightly around her small frame.

"Hello, Miss Hilde!" the delivery man greeted her with a smile as warm as the sun and, as ashamed as she was to admit it, Hilde was a bit disgusted. It was too early in the morning for such pleasantries. He normally would have brought her packages to the shop where one of her coworkers would have signed for it, so bringing something to her house was rather peculiar. "You have a package today. It was marked 'Urgent Delivery' so I thought I should bring it by the house for you."

The girl blinked, looking at the box he was handing her. It wasn't anything exceptional, just an average sized box, not much bigger than one that might store shoes, wrapped in brown paper and addressed to her. She saw the words that he had used to justify his deliver on the side of the package in rather large, glaring red letters. Hilde bowed her head slightly, murmuring a soft 'thanks and take care' before closing the door behind her.

She softly padded her way into the kitchen, noticing the familiar feeling of soft carpet beneath her feet. Hilde was trying to take her time and not appear too excited, in case this was just the delivery of another part to the repair shop, but her heart was full of excitement, even if she wouldn't allow herself to admit it. Hilde rarely received mail and, when a letter would come for her, it normally entailed some form of payment that was expected by a certain date, normally near the end of the month.

But inside of this package was another box, this one much smaller. It was wrapped in elegant black paper that felt like silk against Hilde's fingers. There was a red bow that tied it all together and she could feel her heartbeat quicken just slightly as she gently pulled on the strings holding everything together.

With trembling fingers, Hilde removed the lid from the box and noticed the small red envelope that was lying inside of it. Her name was written elegantly across the back of the object in her hands in fancy golden ink; Miss Hilde Delphine Schbeiker. When she went to remove the envelope from the box, she noticed that there was another, narrower piece of paper beneath it. A plastic cover surrounded a shuttle ticket to earth and Hilde could almost feel her heart stop beating in her chest.

It was a ticket to earth; more specifically, the Sanc Kingdom.

'Relena?' she questioned, wondering if the other woman was somehow behind this. Or perhaps it was her friend, Lucretzia, who had remembered the slender beauty with hypnotizing sapphire eyes that had risked her life to help the Gundam pilots in their battle against White Fang. Hilde ran her fingers across the raised seal of the royal family of the Sanc Kingdom that was emblazoned on the front of the envelope. Her hands shook slightly as she removed the stiff parchment from its folded prison.

_Miss Hilde-_

_You are cordially invited to spend Christmas  
and New Year's Eve with Miss Relena and  
her guests at the Grand Palace of the Sanc  
Kingdom. Please RSVP so a room can be  
reserved in your name._

_Sincerely, Relena _

Thousands of questions raced through her mind in a matter of moments. There was more information that accompanied the original letter, explaining about the two formal occasions that this party would entail and how to get a hold of Relena to RSVP. But, still, Hilde wondered who her other guests could be; it wasn't like she was expecting to keep herself entertained by the various Aristocrats that Queen Relena normally entertained herself with. And she wondered if any of the Gundam pilots would be in attendance.

The next thought hit her like a ton of bricks, 'Would Duo be there, as well?'


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I don't really have a lot to say right now, so I'm going to just leave you to the story for now. Thanks for the continued support!

* * *

**As Lovers Do**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

* * *

It was already beginning to snow when she stepped out of her apartment on that chilly winter afternoon. The snow blurred the ceilings of the colony with a grey haze that Hilde had to admit was slightly eerie. But she lifted her chin upwards to break through the cool breeze stinging at her exposed skin and let her eyes drift outwards towards the growing piles of the soft white snow. A few of the crystalline flakes were clinging to the ends of her hair, sticking out against the raven locks as a stark contrast to the rich color of her hair.

The snow had been falling all night and, rather than let the weather get her down, Hilde buttoned up her lovely sapphire jacket and locked the door behind her. Her white scarf was flying outwards and away from her in the breeze and she adjusted it, as well, making sure that the knot was safe and secure.

Hilde exhaled, letting her eyes follow the small white puffs of air that had escaped from her lips towards the ceiling. Her hands were in her pockets and the only sounds that she allowed herself to concentrate on were the occasional crunches of her boots in the snow. She had a rather long way to go before she would reach her final destination, but she was beginning to adjust to the cool air and had decided to walk. What was five blocks when the first winter snow was falling pleasantly and you had the most wonderful opportunity to enjoy it?

So she continued down the street with a pleasant smile on her face, keeping an even and steady pace. She expertly maneuvered her way through the growing crowds of people as she grew closer to the main shopping district, making sure not to separate shoppers from their bags or children from their mothers in her long strides and quick sidesteps. The atmosphere around the holidays was really something to be noticed; people seemed so much happier, despite the cold weather and overcrowded shopping lines.

On that day, she had set out to purchase two dresses; one to wear to Relena's formal Christmas Ball and the other for the New Year's Eve party that the other woman had assured her would be reserved only for close friends. If she happened to find the appropriate shoes and accessories to accompany the two outfits, well, that would be just icing on the proverbial cake of her shopping trip.

Hilde had decided that her best bet would be to begin at a department store and rely on one of the sales associates to help her pick one out. Dress shopping wasn't something that the young woman had ever spent much time in her life doing and trying to determine the style, size, and color that would best suit her only left Hilde feeling frustrated before she had even begun her search. And frustration was certainly the last emotion that Hilde was looking forward to feeling on that day.

Biting her lower lip a bit nervously, the small girl with dark hair and cheeks rosy from the five blocks she had walked to make it downtown ran her gloved fingers across the handle of a doorway that would let her into the mall. She stepped across the threshold, walking forward and out of the way of many other shoppers bustling into the building around and behind her.

The ceilings were high, the skylights covered in a fresh blanket of snow. But the artificial lighting was enough to keep the building lit well enough and the Christmas lighting and decorations brightened the areas left dark by the lack of sunlight. Loosening the scarf around her neck and unbuttoning the heavy coat that she had worn, Hilde walked forwards, letting her eyes scan the different shops and stores for one that looked as though it might be able to help her.

She finally decided on a used dress store that was tucked away in the back corner of one of the long, winding hallways. The entire area was much less crowded than the rest of the mall had been and Hilde determined that it had to do with the lack of toy stores in the general vicinity. But she stepped inside the store, smiling at the sales clerk her greeted her with an enthusiastic, "Hello! How are you?" and a warm smile.

"Fine, thank you," her voice was soft, flowing with an uncertain sweetness she always reserved for strangers. She stood in the center of the store, looking a bit confused as she noticed that there were probably thousands of 

dresses surrounding her. With a bit more interest in the woman behind the counter, Hilde questioned, "How about yourself?"

There was no one in the store, save Hilde and the tall, graceful blonde behind the counter. She seemed slightly busy, thumbing through a magazine of some sort; but Hilde saw that it was a book of sales receipts and sizing information. But Hilde felt lost among all of the dresses, organized by color and arranged by size. There were a few mannequins dressed in lovely shades of bright red and forest green; for the holidays no doubt.

"Wonderful, thanks!" the girl smiled, finally setting the book down on her stool and walking out from behind the counter. She walked over to Hilde and spoke again, "I'm sorry about that! Can I help you find something?"

Hilde studied the woman in front of her carefully, noticing the khaki color of her pants and vibrant shade of green in her shirt. There was a white tape measure around the girl's neck; her nametag read Chloe. And Hilde sighed gratefully, liking the girl in front of her almost immediately, "I'm not really sure where to begin. I have two formal parties two attend and, since they are in the same place, I'm going to need two dresses."

With a smile the saleswoman took a few steps backwards and crossed her arms over her chest, studying Hilde with a new form of interest. She patiently tapped her right foot on the ground, as her body weight rested on her left leg. Finally, she laughed, breaking through the silence that had settled between the two women, "In that case, we should probably get started. Follow me!"

Doing as she was told, Hilde went to follow the sales women. The other girl's hands were fast at work, pulling dresses in protective slipcovers apart to expose new dresses in shapes and colors Hilde couldn't have previously imagined. The entire time she was at work, Hilde stood behind her, answering the woman's questions about how formal the occasion was, what colors she preferred, if she had a price range, how long she wanted the dresses to be and if she would be attending alone. The raven haired woman obliged, offering as many details as she thought were necessary to help the blonde woman find the perfect dress for her.

There were three dresses in her arms when she finally decided to dismiss Hilde to the fitting rooms. Thirty minutes and seven dresses later, Hilde emerged in a beautiful floor-length ball gown that accented her lovely pale skin and hair so dark that violet streaks could be seen running through it. The color was something between gold and champagne, the material it was made out of was silky under Hilde's touch. Stepping onto the platform in the center of the store and looking at her reflection in the three pained mirror, the lovely young woman gasped at what she saw.

The silk strapless gown had a ruched bodice with beaded lace and embroidered appliqués decorating the top, just above her breasts. The tight fit over her torso accented her tiny waist and slightly wider hips. The silky material slid down her thighs like water, as more beaded lace wrapped around her waist. The embroidered appliqués slid down the dress, splitting apart and continuing around the back and bottom of the dress to expose a rather large slit up Hilde's left thigh.

"Wow," Chloe raised an eyebrow, pressing her index finger to her lips as she studied the girl in front of her. The way that the dress shimmered in the light made it seem as though the girl standing in front of her was some sort of royalty. Clearing her throat, the sales clerk finished buttoning the last of the small silk buttons at Hilde's back and smiled, "It fits you so perfectly, almost like this dress were made for you!"

Blinking a few times, as though she needed to be sure that it was really her reflection she was looking at in the mirror, Hilde took a shaky breath. She smoothed the silky fabric down over her hips and, finally, smiled, "Yes, I think this one is perfect!"

Thirteen more dresses and another hour later, Hilde had two dresses safely wrapped in their plastic slipcases and the shoes and accessories to go with each. She paid the clerk, thanking her profusely before exiting the shop and heading back towards the center of the mall. The young woman planned to take a cab back to her apartment, knowing that it wouldn't have been a very good idea to let the dresses weather the snow. And, as she finally hailed her cab, Hilde slid into the backseat and wondered what Duo would think of her dresses.

But it was foolish to get her hopes up and let herself believe that he was going to be there. It had been over a year since she had even heard anything of him. But if Duo wasn't going to be at Relena's Christmas party, why had Hilde been invited?

* * *


End file.
